User:Kali Bhattacharya/Musica Orbium

Ensemble Musica Orbium
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Founded in 1992 by Patrick Wedd, the choir has presented fourteen seasons of distinct and diverse programming that often featured works by Canadian composers or arrangers. Musica Orbium strives to contribute culturally to the community by providing enriching performance opportunities to our community’s artists, by presenting works by Quebec composers and arrangers, and by fulfilling its simple but ambitious mission: to bring distinct and diverse repertoire to an audience interested in more than traditional programming. The ensemble also aims to go beyond tradition, mining the choral repertoire for lesser-known works that stimulate the choir and audience to higher performance standards and a greater appreciation of choral musicianship. The choir produces its own concerts twice a year, in the Montreal region, and is regularly invited to perform with local orchestras and organizations.

Musica Orbium includes both professional and musically-gifted amateur singers. All singers must pass an audition that includes demonstrating excellent sight reading skills prior to joining the ensemble, and are then expected to prepare their parts independently, so that stylish interpretation and musical expression can be focused on from the very first rehearsal.

Over the past 14 seasons the choir has performed over 300 works, reflecting a broad range of musical styles and cultural heritages. Seventy-five percent of this impressive repertoire list represents works presented a single time, further highlighting the choir’s ability to assimilate new pieces and styles, and to live up to their mandate of bringing distinct and diverse repertoire to their audiences. The excellence of the standards for singers in this choir, as well as the personal growth and outstanding musical experience members enjoy is widely recognized by local singers and attested to by the regular waiting list of singers wishing to join.

Patrick Wedd - The Director
Patrick Wedd directed his first church choir at the age of 12 and has been active in the world of choral music ever since. His church positions have included Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver, Montreal’s Church of St. Andrew & St. Paul and, since 1996, Christ Church Cathedral, Montreal. He is also Artistic Director of the Montreal Boys’ Choir Course, and was conductor of the Tudor Singers for six years.

His career as a pianist, harpsichordist and organist spans all branches of music from medieval to avant-garde. He has concertized extensively, recorded as soloist, accompanist and conductor, and is frequently heard as host and commentator on CBC radio. He composes and arranges, and was a significant contributor to the new hymnbook for the Anglican Church. He enjoys movies, reading and the preparation and consumption of fine food. "The very beginnings of Musica Orbium are characteristic of its unique existence. Having been asked by the local centre of the Royal Canadian College of Organists to provide a choir for two events (one local, the other international), I was then approached by the singers involved. They had all enjoyed the experience of performing challenging repertoire with other gifted musicians, prepared in a finite number of rehearsals. And so began 10 happy years of choral concerts.

The choir continues to show this level of ability, commitment and enthusiasm. Two months of weekly rehearsals regularly produce very skilful presentations of works as varied as the Six Motets of Bach or the Symphony of Psalms of Igor Stravinsky. The choir's musical curiosity is high, and its dedication to professional standards is exemplary. Each singer takes the job of learning notes very seriously, the understanding being that we begin to work on the music and its stylish performance from the very first rehearsal.

It has been a delight to note the appreciation (indeed, sometimes the astonishment in comparison with other local choirs) of the orchestral conductors who have engaged us - Musica Orbium prides itself on the highest standards of musicality and deportment. The fact that we have a regular waiting list of singers wishing to join us is testament to the pleasure the ensemble brings to its members. I genuinely believe that Musica Orbium has been a very positive influence in a city and province where the general standards of choral singing have risen steadily during the 10 years of our existence. I believe that this level of achievement can only grow in our future, and I feel privileged to conduct such a fine group of singers, both paid and unpaid."

- Patrick Wedd